Peter Matheson and his team built a Stroma yole on Clydeside, inspired by The Voyage of The Aegre, between February 2024 and December 2025.
Links to all the pages of photos and notes are here.
Below: February to April 2024
18 February 2024: Peter Matheson has received the wood for the new boat. It is a big log of larch cut through and through, 12 feet long by 7/8 inch.
To learn more about the background of Peter Matheson, Clydeside Traditional Boatbuilders and how the voyage of The Aegre inspired Peter to build this boat, see the earliest page below (1 being the latest).
21 February 2024: Peter Matheson wrote: Thank you very much for the pictures of the building of your boat [The Aegre]. It is almost identical to the boats that we build. The only difference that I can see is that when we plank them up, our garboard is the widest plank going up the stem. We then gradually reduce the planks’ width on the stem so that the top or second top plank is the narrowest. The reason for this is that it means that the strakes are more straight, and as our logs are straight, this saves wood.
As for the double enders, we always put a bit of a bend in the stems of them, but not always in the sternpost. They tend to be beach boats and get dragged up the beach over logs and seaweed. Also, it is less of a problem fitting a rudder to a straight sternpost. The working fishing boats generally have a fairly straight stem post. About 2 inches in a 6-foot bend and a rounded forefoot, which is sheathed in steel, as is the keel
Because of the licensing, our boats tend to be rather ‘dumpy’ as they must come under 10 metres or 8 metres for the stupid rules that the fishermen must now follow. Extra beam gives extra capacity. We also fit what is called a ‘cat-catcher’. This is a framework added to the stern to hold fish boxes etc and is not included in the boat’s length. When I was at sea fishing, there were no rules and probably fewer casualties than there are today.
The ‘Hope‘ was considered one of the best boats on the coast. She had been owned by my old skipper. I think she was about 20 feet O.A. We have the larch now, so we should get started on the new boat soon. I intend to rig it like The Aegre. Incidentally, how did you fix the 7 CWT of lead ballast? We seldom use any ballast as the engines act as ballast.
7 March 2024 Peter Matheson said, “I have now started on the planking of the new boat. I have cut the garboards and am in the process of fitting them, so all being well, the planking will proceed as planned.
I was lucky to get a lovely big tree butt, cut through and through at 7/8 of an inch, so as to give me 3/4 inch planking. The keel, stem, and stern posts are 3 and a half inches thick. My boats tend to be a bit heavier built than is the norm, but this gives them a longer life in the arduous conditions found in the Pentland Firth.
The man standing beside the garboard strakes is Alexander McDonald. A native of Skye. ‘Sandy’ is one of our volunteers/students. We also have a couple of other trainees who come in on Fridays. A few people come in and help from time to time. I never have to pay anyone.
16 March 2024: Steaming and fitting the garboards – see the short video here shared by Sandy MacDonald.
The man standing beside the garboard strakes is Alexander McDonald. A native of Skye. ‘Sandy’ is one of our volunteers/students. We also have a couple of other trainees who come in on Fridays. A few people come in and help from time to time. I never have to pay anyone.
30 March 2024: Steaming and fitting the second plank – see short video here shared by Sandy MacDonald.
23 April 2024: Peter writes that he and his volunteer team have completed the third plank and have the fourth plank ready for steaming. They have also fitted all of the floors (bottom framing).
26 April 2024
Return to the listing of all the pages about the building of this Stroma yole.
